{"id":11272,"date":"2025-11-06T07:14:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T07:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=11272"},"modified":"2025-11-06T07:17:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T07:17:09","slug":"possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/","title":{"rendered":"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 id=\"introduction\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cNine Points of the Law\u201d is a smart and fun story written by <strong>E.W. Hornung<\/strong>. It\u2019s about a clever thief named <strong>Raffles<\/strong> and his friend <strong>Bunny<\/strong>. Raffles is not a typical criminal\u2014he\u2019s polite, well-dressed, and plays cricket.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#What_Happens_in_the_Story\" >What Happens in the Story<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Main_Ideas_and_What_They_Mean\" >Main Ideas and What They Mean<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Why_the_Story_is_Important\" >Why the Story is Important<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Main_Characters\" >Main Characters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Possession_vs_Ownership_A_Legal_Dilemma\" >Possession vs. Ownership: A Legal Dilemma<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Raffles_as_a_Shadow_Arbiter\" >Raffles as a Shadow Arbiter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Legal_Irony_and_Social_Commentary\" >Legal Irony and Social Commentary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Broader_Implications\" >Broader Implications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>In this story, he is asked to get back a painting that was stolen long ago. The man who owns it can\u2019t prove it in court, so Raffles uses tricks and charm to take it back from the person who has it now. The story shows how sometimes the law doesn\u2019t help people, even when they\u2019re right. It makes us think about what\u2019s fair, what\u2019s legal, and how those two things don\u2019t always match.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"story-summary\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Happens_in_the_Story\"><\/span>What Happens in the Story<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The story begins with Bunny Manders, who has just come out of jail. His friend Raffles, a clever and charming thief, offers him a new job. A rich art collector named <strong>Mr. Craggs<\/strong> wants Raffles to recover a stolen painting\u2014a famous Velasquez\u2014that legally belongs to him. But the painting is now with a young lawyer named <strong>Addenbrooke<\/strong>, who got it in a dishonest way. Craggs can\u2019t prove in court that it\u2019s his, so he asks Raffles to get it back secretly.<\/p>\n<p>Raffles and Bunny dress up and pretend to be someone else to enter Addenbrooke\u2019s office. Using charm and clever tricks, they find and steal the painting. The story\u2019s title refers to the saying <em>\u201cPossession is nine points of the law,\u201d<\/em> meaning that the person who holds something is often seen as its owner, even if they got it unfairly.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"themes-and-ideas\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Main_Ideas_and_What_They_Mean\"><\/span>Main Ideas and What They Mean<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hornung&#8217;s story is full of irony and comments on society:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fairness vs. Following the Rules:<\/strong> Raffles breaks the law, but he often brings about a kind of fair outcome. Craggs might be the real owner, but he can&#8217;t get his painting back legally. So, Raffles steps in.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is Stealing Always Wrong?<\/strong> The story makes it hard to say who is good and who is bad. Raffles is a thief, but the story makes him seem more honest than the lawyers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Social Class and Power:<\/strong> Raffles, being a gentleman, uses his social status and smarts to fool people. Hornung is pointing out how the social system in Britain worked, showing how being charming and having advantages could be more important than the law.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"story-importance\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_Story_is_Important\"><\/span>Why the Story is Important<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Hornung&#8217;s Raffles stories were new because they showed a thief as a main character that people could like.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;Nine Points of the Law&#8221; is a good example of how Hornung could mix excitement, humour, and complicated moral questions.<\/li>\n<li>This story inspired other books about charming criminals, like <em>&#8220;The Saint&#8221;<\/em> by Leslie Charteris, and even modern stories about heists.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"main-characters\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Main_Characters\"><\/span>Main Characters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table border=\"1\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"6\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Character<\/th>\n<th>What They Do in the Story<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>A.J. Raffles<\/td>\n<td>The gentleman thief; plans the theft of the painting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Bunny Manders<\/td>\n<td>The narrator; Raffles&#8217;s best friend; provides humour and explores moral questions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mr. Craggs<\/td>\n<td>An art collector; pays Raffles to recover his stolen painting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Addenbrooke<\/td>\n<td>A young lawyer; currently in possession of the stolen painting<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"possession-vs-ownership\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Possession_vs_Ownership_A_Legal_Dilemma\"><\/span>Possession vs. Ownership: A Legal Dilemma<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The story dramatizes the maxim <em>\u201cPossession is nine points of the law,\u201d<\/em> which implies that having physical control over property often outweighs abstract legal claims. In the narrative, Mr. Craggs is the rightful owner of a stolen painting, but because he lacks proof and the painting is in Addenbrooke\u2019s possession, the law cannot help him. This reflects a real-world legal challenge: courts often require tangible evidence and formal documentation, and without these, justice may be inaccessible.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"raffles-as-shadow-arbiter\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Raffles_as_a_Shadow_Arbiter\"><\/span>Raffles as a Shadow Arbiter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Raffles steps in as a kind of rogue arbitrator\u2014he bypasses legal procedure to restore what he sees as moral balance. His actions are technically criminal, yet they serve a corrective function. Hornung uses this to critique the rigidity of legal systems: sometimes, the law protects the wrong party simply because they hold possession. Raffles\u2019 intervention suggests that justice may require bending the rules when the system fails.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"legal-irony-social-commentary\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legal_Irony_and_Social_Commentary\"><\/span>Legal Irony and Social Commentary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hornung\u2019s irony lies in the fact that a thief is more effective than the law in delivering justice. The barrister Addenbrooke, a symbol of legal authority, is portrayed as morally compromised, while Raffles, the criminal, acts with integrity (albeit outside the law). This inversion challenges readers to reconsider who truly upholds justice: is it the one who follows the law, or the one who restores fairness?<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"broader-implications\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Broader_Implications\"><\/span>Broader Implications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Legal Formalism vs. Equity:<\/strong> The story highlights the gap between legal formalism (strict adherence to rules) and equitable justice (fair outcomes).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Power and Privilege:<\/strong> Raffles\u2019 success relies on charm, wit, and social standing\u2014suggesting that law is not always blind, but influenced by class and charisma.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Moral Ambiguity:<\/strong> Hornung doesn\u2019t offer easy answers. Instead, he invites readers to wrestle with the idea that legality and morality don\u2019t always align.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Nine Points of the Law&#8221; is a smart and morally interesting story that makes you think about what justice really means. Raffles cleverly bends the rules, and Hornung makes us wonder if the law always leads to what is fair. The story remains a classic in crime fiction, offering both enjoyment and thought-provoking ideas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction \u201cNine Points of the Law\u201d is a smart and fun story written by E.W. Hornung. It\u2019s about a clever thief named Raffles and his friend Bunny. Raffles is not a typical criminal\u2014he\u2019s polite, well-dressed, and plays cricket. In this story, he is asked to get back a painting that was stolen long ago. The<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-11272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-criminal-law","tag-just-in"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning - Legal Service India - Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore E.W. Hornung\u2019s &#039;Nine Points of the Law&#039;\u2014a witty tale of Raffles, justice, morality, and the clash between fairness and legal rules.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore E.W. Hornung\u2019s &#039;Nine Points of the Law&#039;\u2014a witty tale of Raffles, justice, morality, and the clash between fairness and legal rules.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Legal Service India - Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T07:14:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T07:17:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/POSSESSION.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Md. Imran Wahab\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@legalserviceind\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@legalserviceind\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Md. Imran Wahab\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Md. Imran Wahab\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/23f17916b2032842e5ccd9cb51dfc156\"},\"headline\":\"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-06T07:14:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-06T07:17:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":892,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"Just In\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Criminal Law\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/\",\"name\":\"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning - Legal Service India - Articles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-06T07:14:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-06T07:17:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore E.W. Hornung\u2019s 'Nine Points of the Law'\u2014a witty tale of Raffles, justice, morality, and the clash between fairness and legal rules.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Criminal Law > Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/\",\"name\":\"Legal Service India - Law Articles\",\"description\":\"Legal Service India - Law Article Directory is the oldest in India since 2000, with thousands of article written by lawyers, law Students and Scholars on all branches of law\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Legal Service India\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/logo-circle-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/logo-circle-1.png\",\"width\":105,\"height\":95,\"caption\":\"Legal Service India\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/legalservicesind\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/legalserviceind\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@LegalServiceIndia-lsi\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/23f17916b2032842e5ccd9cb51dfc156\",\"name\":\"Md. Imran Wahab\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/avatars\\\/49\\\/1777837060-bpfull.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/avatars\\\/49\\\/1777837060-bpfull.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/avatars\\\/49\\\/1777837060-bpfull.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Md. Imran Wahab\"},\"description\":\"Md. Imran Wahab, a distinguished 2004-batch Indian Police Service officer, has dedicated over 32 years to public service, holding various senior managerial positions within the West Bengal Police force. His career has spanned diverse roles across different districts, including Kolkata Police, serving as DCP, 5th Battalion, Kolkata Armed Police and DCP (Port Division), for approximately 4 years. He served in Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, holding the positions of DCP (Special Branch) and DCP (Traffic) for over 4 years. He was posted in the districts of Dakshin Dinajpur and Nadia as Additional SP. At the sub-divisional level, he has worked as SDPOs of Gangarampur, Raghunathpur and Kalna sub-divisions of West Bengal. His tenure as Special IG and subsequently as IGP of Correctional Services, West Bengal, for over 4 years, saw him deeply engaged in improving the prison and correctional system. He visited numerous correctional homes across West Bengal, interacting with inmates, both male and female, including children residing with their incarcerated mothers. His outreach extended to correctional homes in Assam, Bihar, and Tripura. This hands-on approach provided him with invaluable insights into the workings of prisons and the complexities of the prisoner psyche. Beyond his operational roles, Md. Imran Wahab possesses a strong academic background, holding B.Sc., M.A., L.L.B., and M.B.A. degrees. He has also completed Post Graduate Diplomas in Human Rights, Project Management, Corporate Management, Computer Application, Public Administration, Medical Law, Disaster Management, Fire Safety &amp; Hazards Management and Psychology. He has attended Indian government sponsored specialized training in police and management matters in SVPNPA, Hyderabad, IIM, Ahmedabad and Singapore. He is the author of the books 'Police Investigation &amp; Allied Matters' and 'Alternative Dispute Resolution: Evolving Trends and Innovations' demonstrating his commitment to knowledge sharing within the law enforcement field. As an observer for the Election Commission of India, he has gained firsthand experience in conducting assembly elections and bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Bihar, and Tripura (twice). This exposure has given him a deep understanding of election management and the Election Commission's operations. He has also served as Chairman and as a member of various recruitment boards for the selection of police personnel in Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police. Md. Imran Wahab's interests extend beyond law enforcement to include law, politics, international affairs, prison management, and business management. He has authored over 1000 articles on these diverse topics, reflecting his intellectual curiosity and desire to contribute to public discourse. He is also a research scholar in law and has contributed articles to the Indian Police Journal, National Crime Record Bureau Journal, SVP National Police Academy Journal, and International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research etc. Currently, he serves as IGP, Provisioning, West Bengal.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalserviceindia.com\\\/Legal-Articles\\\/author\\\/md-imranwahab\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning - Legal Service India - Articles","description":"Explore E.W. Hornung\u2019s 'Nine Points of the Law'\u2014a witty tale of Raffles, justice, morality, and the clash between fairness and legal rules.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning","og_description":"Explore E.W. Hornung\u2019s 'Nine Points of the Law'\u2014a witty tale of Raffles, justice, morality, and the clash between fairness and legal rules.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/","og_site_name":"Legal Service India - Articles","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind","article_published_time":"2025-11-06T07:14:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-06T07:17:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":1024,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/POSSESSION.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Md. Imran Wahab","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@legalserviceind","twitter_site":"@legalserviceind","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Md. Imran Wahab","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/"},"author":{"name":"Md. Imran Wahab","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/person\/23f17916b2032842e5ccd9cb51dfc156"},"headline":"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning","datePublished":"2025-11-06T07:14:04+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-06T07:17:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/"},"wordCount":892,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#organization"},"keywords":["Just In"],"articleSection":["Criminal Law"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/","name":"Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning - Legal Service India - Articles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-11-06T07:14:04+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-06T07:17:09+00:00","description":"Explore E.W. Hornung\u2019s 'Nine Points of the Law'\u2014a witty tale of Raffles, justice, morality, and the clash between fairness and legal rules.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/possession-is-nine-points-of-the-law-when-holding-means-owning\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Criminal Law > Possession is Nine Points of the Law: When Holding Means Owning"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/","name":"Legal Service India - Law Articles","description":"Legal Service India - Law Article Directory is the oldest in India since 2000, with thousands of article written by lawyers, law Students and Scholars on all branches of law","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#organization","name":"Legal Service India","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/logo-circle-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/logo-circle-1.png","width":105,"height":95,"caption":"Legal Service India"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind","https:\/\/x.com\/legalserviceind","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LegalServiceIndia-lsi"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/#\/schema\/person\/23f17916b2032842e5ccd9cb51dfc156","name":"Md. Imran Wahab","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/avatars\/49\/1777837060-bpfull.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/avatars\/49\/1777837060-bpfull.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/avatars\/49\/1777837060-bpfull.jpg","caption":"Md. Imran Wahab"},"description":"Md. Imran Wahab, a distinguished 2004-batch Indian Police Service officer, has dedicated over 32 years to public service, holding various senior managerial positions within the West Bengal Police force. His career has spanned diverse roles across different districts, including Kolkata Police, serving as DCP, 5th Battalion, Kolkata Armed Police and DCP (Port Division), for approximately 4 years. He served in Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, holding the positions of DCP (Special Branch) and DCP (Traffic) for over 4 years. He was posted in the districts of Dakshin Dinajpur and Nadia as Additional SP. At the sub-divisional level, he has worked as SDPOs of Gangarampur, Raghunathpur and Kalna sub-divisions of West Bengal. His tenure as Special IG and subsequently as IGP of Correctional Services, West Bengal, for over 4 years, saw him deeply engaged in improving the prison and correctional system. He visited numerous correctional homes across West Bengal, interacting with inmates, both male and female, including children residing with their incarcerated mothers. His outreach extended to correctional homes in Assam, Bihar, and Tripura. This hands-on approach provided him with invaluable insights into the workings of prisons and the complexities of the prisoner psyche. Beyond his operational roles, Md. Imran Wahab possesses a strong academic background, holding B.Sc., M.A., L.L.B., and M.B.A. degrees. He has also completed Post Graduate Diplomas in Human Rights, Project Management, Corporate Management, Computer Application, Public Administration, Medical Law, Disaster Management, Fire Safety &amp; Hazards Management and Psychology. He has attended Indian government sponsored specialized training in police and management matters in SVPNPA, Hyderabad, IIM, Ahmedabad and Singapore. He is the author of the books 'Police Investigation &amp; Allied Matters' and 'Alternative Dispute Resolution: Evolving Trends and Innovations' demonstrating his commitment to knowledge sharing within the law enforcement field. As an observer for the Election Commission of India, he has gained firsthand experience in conducting assembly elections and bye-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Bihar, and Tripura (twice). This exposure has given him a deep understanding of election management and the Election Commission's operations. He has also served as Chairman and as a member of various recruitment boards for the selection of police personnel in Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police. Md. Imran Wahab's interests extend beyond law enforcement to include law, politics, international affairs, prison management, and business management. He has authored over 1000 articles on these diverse topics, reflecting his intellectual curiosity and desire to contribute to public discourse. He is also a research scholar in law and has contributed articles to the Indian Police Journal, National Crime Record Bureau Journal, SVP National Police Academy Journal, and International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research etc. Currently, he serves as IGP, Provisioning, West Bengal.","url":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/author\/md-imranwahab\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11272\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}